Bottle holder



Nov. 20, 1945. s. N. LEBOLD BOTTLE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 12, 1944 INVENTOR. czmueL/Vlsold Nov. 20, 1945. s LEBQLD 2,389,318

BOTTLE HOLDER Filed July 12, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jamad NLeboZafi Patented Nov. 2Q, W45

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BOTTLE HOLDER Samuel N. Lebold, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Morris Paper Mills, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 12, 1944, Serial No. 544,594

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the packaging of bottles of beverage. and similar articles, for transportation by hand. More particularly, it pertains to a package of bottles or similar articles and a carrier or holder for forming such a package of a character such that a plurality of bottles or similar articles is securely retained in association to constitute a unit which may be carried conveniently in the hand.

A general object of the invention is the pro- 'vision of such a package which comprises a carrier or holder that may be made of paperboard or similar sheet material and in which the bottles will be securely retained and effectively safeguarded, and yet which may be producedvery economically and supplied to users at low cost. because of the simplicity of the manufacturing operations involved and the relatively small amount, both as regards thickness or weight and area, of paper board material required to give the necessary strength and to afford proper retention and protection for the bottles.

A particular object is the provision of a package of the sort above referred to wherein the paper board holder or carrier, and particularly the handle portions whereby the package is suD- ported, are effectively safeguarded against twisting, extreme fiexion and other distortion such as would tend to weaken the material and parts of the structure and thereby contribute to tearing or failure of them in the contemplated uses.

A specific object of the invention is the provision of a package and holder of such character that comparatively light paper board may be employed eifectively for the secure packaging and carrying of groups of conventional bottles of the 12-ounce size and larger.

Another object is the provision of a holder affording the advantages stated above, which may be made com lete from a unitary fiat blank formed to provide partitions and walls aflording a plurality of bottle-receiving compartments and having said compartments so arran ed that bottles may be deposited in all of them simultaneously by straight vertical movement, and, moreover, wherein the compartment partitions are afforded secure support and effective protection and are adapted to prevent injurious contact of the bottles.

Another object is theprovisio'n of a package and a holder of character such as to facilitate the stacking of a plurality of such packages upon one another for purpose of display or the like, without involving any distortion or adjustment of any portions of the holders or subjecting them to injurious loading, and wherein the bottles will be securely and effectively retained in proper position and relationship to carry the load of the superimposed packages.

Another object is the provision of such a P c age and holder of such character that the contained bottles are eiiectively safeguarded when groups of the packages, four or more for example, are disposed and handled in trays, crates or cases for transportation in the bottling plant or in course of distribution to dealers.

Another object is the provision of an improved paper board holder or carrier whereby the foregoing objects may be attained and which may be produced rapidly and in quantities on conventional cutting and printing presses and may be fabricated complete in the box factory in collapsed or knocked-down condition such as to conserve space in packaging, storage and ship-- ment to users, and which may be setup quickly and easily by users at the point of use without requiring any special apparatus or additional or extraneous fastenings.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon employment of embodiments of it in actual use.

For purpose of aiding in a description of the invention, I show in the accompanying drawings, and hereinafter describe, certain forms in which it may be embodied. It is to be understood, however, that these are presented merely for purpose of illustration, and hence are not to be accorded any interpretation calculated to impose on the appended claims any limitations which are not necessitated by the prior art.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan or lay-out showing, in the heavily outlined portion, one complete blank of form suitable for production of an embodiment of the invention, the lay-out showing the side of the blank which forms the inner side of the completed carrier, and serving also to show how a number of such blanks may be cut simultaneously from a sheet of suitable material, in association with one another such as to avail of the material without substantial Waste;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a holder or carrier formed from a blank such as shown in Fig. 1, portraying the carrier in its completely fabricated form but in the flat collapsed condition in which it is supplied to users; I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same carrier in its fully set-up condition, ready for reception of its intended load of bottles of beverage or the like to form a complete package embodying my invention, the illustration in Fig. 3 being on somewhat larger scale than those in the preceding figures;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of a package embodying my invention and comprising a carrier of the form shown in Fig. 3 loaded with beverage bottles of conventional form and lit-ounce size, the illustration showing the manner in which the bottles cooperate with the holder to prevent distortion oi the handle portions when the package is carried in the hand;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the same package, illustrating the manner in which the parts of the package cooperate to aflord support for another similar package or packages, as in stacking for display;

Fig. 6 is a plan or lay-out view 01' another design of blank for forming a similar package and a carrier of modified form, the figureshowing in folded positions portions of the blank which are shown in dot-and-dash lines in the positions in I which they are originally out from the sheet;

Fig. 7 is a side view of a completed carrier made from the blank illustrated in Fig. 6, showing the same in its flat collapsed condition;

Fig. 8 is a cross section of the carrier of Fig. '1 in set-up condition, showing a top view oi its bottom with some parts broken away to reveal underlying parts; and

Fig. 9 is a diagram in the nature oi a plan or top view 01' a case or tray containing our of the packages such as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, and serving to show how the holders cooperate mutually to ailord the bottles effective protection in such relationship.

The general objects and some of the characteristics of the invention having been pointed out above. a fuller understanding of it may be most quickly ascertained from the following description of the embodiments illustrated.

In Fig. 1 is illustrated an arrangement wherein a plurality of identical blanks may be cut simultaneously from a sheet of paper board by a single die in a cutting press, and it will be observed that the several blanks are so internested that there is very little waste of material. One of the blanks shown is heavily outlined and the reference characters are applied to it, the other blanks having corresponding parts. It will be seen that the blank is cut and creased to provide a pair of similar side wall panels I8 and I I which are connected at crease lines a and b by an end wall panel I2. and are conjoined at their outer ends, along crease lines c and (1 respectively, to end wall panel sections I3 and I l.

A slotted bottom flap I 5 is conjoined to the lower margin of side panel II at crease line 8 and is formed with a locking slot H. A pair of hooked bottom flaps I6 are conjoined to the lower margin of side panel I8 along crease line 1 and are disposed in marginl abutment with each other and formed at their outer ends with hooks I8 adapted for interlocking co-operation with bottom flap ii at the ends of slot H. An end flap section I9 is conjoined to the lower margin of end panel section I3 along crease line a and an end fiap section 28 is conjoined to the bottom margin of end panel section I4 along crease line It. An end flap 22 is conjoined to the lower margin of end panel I2 along crease line-i. Each of said flaps is approximately coextensive with its conjoined panel on their junction line.

Slits 23, 24 and 25 extend completely through the blank and serve to mark off handle pan ls aseasrs 26 and 21 from the various wall panels. said slits defining the lower margins of said handle panels. and, in conjunction with upward proiongations or crease lines b and d and additional vertical crease lines i, k and 'm serve to define partition strips 28 and 28 connecting the side panels with respecif desired, is ready for the further fabricating operations. These comprise, first, application of adhesive to the areas marked with stippling on the handle panel 21, glue tab 83, end section I3 and end flap I8. This may be accomplished in a conventional gluing and folding machine. Then side panel I 8 and handle panel 26 are folded over along crease line a onto panels II, I2 and 21, the handle panels thus becoming adheslvely secured to each other in locations corresponding to the stippling. Then end section I3 and flap section I 9 are folded over along crease line 0 onto the upwardly presented surfaces of handle panel 26, end section is and flap section 28, so that glue tab 33 becomes adheslvely secured to handle panel 26, end section I3 to end section I4, and flap section I9 to flap section 28, slit 32 being in coinciding relationship with the end portion of slit 25. This completes the fabrication of the holder, and it is in the fiat folded condition shown in Fig. 2, wherein the light stippling indicates the areas wherein the parts are connected by adhesive.

To set up the holder from its collapsed condi' tion, the opposite margins, which now lie on crease lines a and c, are pressed toward each other. This swings end panel I2 and the opposite end panel, formed by adheslvely connected sections I3 and I4, to angular relationship with the side panels and the handle panels, the overlying panels swinging apart from one another on crease lines a and c and conjoined coplanar panels swinging to angular relationship with each other on crease lines b, d, m and n. This angular swinging of the end panels moves the side panels outwardly away from the handle panels and swings the partition strips to angular relationship with the side and handle panels.

The holder having been thus folded to place the adjacent wall panels in angular relationship to define the rectangular form of the holder, the end flaps 22 and I9 are folded inwardly along lines i'and g'h, and slotted flap I5 is folded inwardly on crease e. Hooked flaps I8 are then folded inwardly and their hooked end portions are overlapped one upon the other, so as to permit the insertion of the hooks through the slot II. This having been done and the flaps I8 having been released, they spring outwardly to their laterally abutting positions, thus engaging the hooks I8 with the flap I5 at the ends of the slot I1 and securing the flaps I5 and I6 to each other so that they supportthemselves and the end flaps at approximately right angles to the wall panels to form a double or two-ply bottom for the holder. This completes the setting up of the holder and it has the form illustrated in Fig. 3.

in Figs. 6, '7 and 8 is illustrated a modified embodiment having an improved bottom construction of the automatic or self-locking type.

Excepting for the bottom construction, it is substantially identical with the carrier above described in all particulars, and like reference characters are applied to corresponding parts. The blank is shown in Fig. 6, and it will be observed that the wall and handle panels are identical with those of the blank shown in Fig. l, with the exception that the end panel I3 is somewhat wider than the end panel is. Here the four bottom flaps are designated respectively by the reference numerals 48, 42, 4i and 43, 48 and 4| being side bottom flaps and 42 and 43 being end bottom flaps. The side bottom flaps 48 and 4! are formed with interlocking tabs 44 and 45 shaped to afford interengageable hook portions beyond locking slots 46.- The end bottom flaps 42 and 43 are formed with oblique or diagonal fold creases p and q, the first extending from the comer of flap 42 adjacent the intersection of fold creases a and i, and the fold crease q extending from the corresponding corner of flap 43 adjacent the intersection of fold creases c and 9. These fold creases mark ofl connecting tabs 48 and 41 in the respective end flaps. After the blank is cut out as shown in full lines, the bottom flaps are folded over along fold lines I, i, e and g, onto the upwardly presented surfaces of their conjoined wall panels I0, I2, II and i3, from the positions indicated by the dot-dash lines. Adhesive is applied to areas of handle panels and end wall section i4 indicated by stippling in Fig. 6, and also to the entire upwardly presented surfaces of connecting tabs 47 and 48. Then the blank is folded on crease line or so as to place the adhesive bearing surface of connecting tab 4? upon the upwardly presented surface of side bottom flap 4!, and next the blank is folded on the crease line a so as to place the upwardly presented surface of side flap 40 upon the upwardly presented adhesive bearing surface of connecting tab 48 and to place the handle panels in register with each other and the adhesive bearing surface of end wall section i4 upon the upwardly presented surface of end panel i3 and the adhesive bearing surface of handle panel 26 upon the upwardly presented surface of glue flap 33. Thus the handle flaps are adhesively secured in coinciding relationship, the end portion of handle panel 26 is secured to glue flap 33, end wall section I4 is adhesively secured to end panel l3, and side bottom flaps '48 and 4| are adhesively secured to respective connecting tabs 42 and 43 of the end flaps. The holder as thus completely folded and fabricated is in the collapsed or flat folded form illustrated in Fig. '7, the bottom flaps remaining in their folded positions between the wall panels.

' To set up this holder from its flat collapsed form, pressure is applied to move fold creases a and c toward each other, thereby swinging the end wall panels into angular relationship with the side wall panels and handle panels and moving the side wall panels in and l I outwardly away from the handle panels and longitudinally relative to each other. Coincident with this relative movement of the wall panels, the bottom flaps are all swung downward because of their connection thereto across the corners by attachment of the side bottom flaps 40 and 4! to the respective connecting tabs 48 and 41. This downward swinging of the bottom flaps is accommodated by folding of the connecting flaps 48 and 41 along the diagonal crease lines 1: and 11. so that said connecting flaps are swung over onto what is to be the upper or inner surfaces of end bottom flaps 42 and 43 as the flaps approach their horizontal position, perpendicular to the wall panels. It is to be observed that as the flaps 40 and 4! swing downwardly, they also shift longitudinally relative to each other as side panels I0 and ii move longitudinally with the angular swinging of the end wall panels. This relative longitudinal movement of flaps 48 and 4i is such as to swing their interlocking hooks toward each other, but the downward swinging movement of those flaps is such that the interlocking tab of each of them is moved to overlapping or crossed relationship with the swinging margin of the other flap while the tabs 44 and 45 are still clear of each other. During the further downward swinging movement of the bottom flaps, the longitudinal movement of flaps 48 and 4| brings their hooks and slots 46 into interlocking relationship, and they are fully seated in crotched interengagement when the flaps reach their horizontal position at right angles to the wall panels. In this, the fully set-up position of the bottom, the interlocking tabs 44 and 45 of the respective side bottom sections overlap and lie upon the opposite side bottom flaps for a substantial distance beyond the longitudinal median line of the bottom, and the connecting tabs 47 and 48 are in-folded between the side and end bottom flaps, end flap 48 resting upon the upper surface of side flap 48 and end flap 42 upon the upper surface of side flap 4!. The internal appearance of the bottom is shown in Fig. 8, and it will be observed that the construction forms a very tight bottom in which there is liberal overlapping of the bottom flaps across all of the diagonal joint lines as well as across the median joint line. Moreover, the bottom is of at least two-ply thickness in the major portion of the area of each bottle compartment.

A very similar automatic bottom construction can be made with a blank of the form illustrated in Fig. 6 but eliminating the diagonal creases from the end bottom flaps and forming them, in-

stead, in the side bottom flaps so that they extend obliquely from the comers at the junctions of the fold creases c-e and 0-4, with the result that the connecting tabs are formed on the side bottom flaps rather than on the end bottom flaps. The folding of this modified bottom will be the same as that last described, the bottom flaps being first folded over onto their conjoined wall panels and the adhesive being applied to the then upwardly presented surfaces of the connecting tabs on the side bottom flaps, so that, upon the further folding on crease lines 0 and a, the end bottom flaps will be placed upon the connecting tabs and adhesively secured thereto. Upon the setting up of the carrier with this bottom construction, the end bottom flaps will lie on the upper or inner sides of the interlocked side bottom flaps and will extend completely across the bottom of the erected carrier to locations closely adjacent the side panels. As in the embodiment first above described, this complete bridging of the bottom by the stiff and uncreased end bottom flaps carries the weight of the bottles over to locations closely adjacent the side and end wall panels, thus relieving the interlocking bottom parts of tearing stresses.

Excepting for details of the bottom and near end panel, Fig. 3 serves to illustrate the external appearance of any of the three embodiments in its fully erected condition. It will be observed that in each the'bottom structure provides a very stiff platform which holds the wall structure definitely in its rectangular form, maintaining the end walls and the partition strips 28 and 28 in the desired relationship to the connected handle panels 26 and 21 to form two rows of bottle compartments, and to maintain those compartments in their fully open or distended condition.

Consequently, these carriers. are particularly adapted for loading by automatic or semi-automatic means whereby the full complement of botties for a carrier is arranged in proper relationship and then dropped simultaneously into the compartments, bottoms first and in upright positions.

Other characteristics of the structure particularly qualify carriers of these constructions for loading in that fashion. In the first place, the stiff two-ply bottom aii'ords a desirable cushioning effect for the bottles when they drop onto it. In the second place, the partition strips are aflorded maximum strengthbecause of the fact that they extend directly and-in the shortest lines from the side panels to the handle panels and are connected throughout their height with said panels. The portions of the side panels to which the partition strips are connected are continued in full height along the sides of the compartments, and thus serve to safeguard the outer end connections of the strips against being caught or broken by the dropping bottles. The partition strips are stiffened somewhat by the embossments l0,'though the primary purpose of these is to give these partitions additional cushioning effect between the iuxtaposed bottles.

It will be noted that the ends of the handle panels 26, 21, which are in the final form secured in back-to-back relation, are connected to the end walls of the carrier by a substantial height of material, represented by the height of the hinge fold line n. This height equals the combined height of the hinge lines of the partitions 28, 29, i. e., the sum of the lengths of the hinge fold lines at and 1' connecting said partitions to the handle panels. A very strong section is thus provided at the critical load supporting areas at the ends of the handle panels, enabling a single ply of stock to be used. The stepped arrangement of the partitions which subdivide the carrier into article carrying cells makes this improved feature possible, aside from other features of structural improvement which are afforded by this stepped configuration.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is illustrated a completed package embodying this invention, such as may be formed with a carrier of either of the forms above described. The example here shown is a package comprising six beverage bottles of conventional shape. An important feature of this improved package is a particular relationship of carrier and bottles whereby they cooperate to safeguard the handle parts against deflection or distortion such as might break or weaken them. It will be understood, of course, that the package is designed to be carried pendulously in the hand, the tabs 8| being folded laterally and upwardly out of the handle panels to afford finger holes through which the fingers of the hand may be introduced to grasp the handle which is thus provided at the upper portions of the handle panels.

The carrier is proportioned, of course, with reference to the size and form of the bottles which it is intended to carry in any particular instance, and when it is designed for holding six bottles, as here illustrated, its length is such as to accommodate three ofthe intended bottles standing close together in a row, and its width is such as to accommodate two bottles standing side by side, suitable allowance being made, of course, for the intervening partition strips and the interposed lower portions of the handle panels. Accordingly, the dimensions of each bottle compartment are such as to accommodate a single bottle with suflicient freedom to permit it to drop into place by gravity, yet retain it against any substantial extent of lateral shifting movement in the compartment when seated therein. Accordingly, when the carrier has its load of intended bottles, they are retained quite securely in upright positions, and held against any substantial degree of tilting movement in any direction.

Heretofore, in the designing of bottle carriers having handles formed by portions of the blank, it has been regarded as necessary or desirable to position the portions of the handle which are grasped in the hand at a suflicient distance above the height of the intended bottles to permit the hand to be almost entirely clear of their upper ends. I have conceived and demonstrated, how- 'ever, that certain quite important advantages are 'of the bottles or bottle closures; This particular of the structure is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 wherein it will be seen that the upper margins of the handle panels are located an appreciable distance below the tops of the bottle caps, and, in fact, below the lower margins of the cap skirts. Of course, the exact location of the handle in reference to the height of the bottles is susceptible of considerable variation such as maybe best suited to the form of bottle involved in any given instance, and, while it is recognized that there are types of short necked or high shouldered bottles which are not adapted for use in the present invention, the intended results are obtainable with beverage bottles of nearly all of the conventional shapes and proportions, substantially all of which have upper portions which are tapered more or less gradually to relatively thin necks which attain a diameter less than half the width of the bottle body, the portions which are materially reduced in diameter comprising approximately one-third, more or less, of the total height of the bottle. The bottles illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 are of a very common type used quite extensively, in l2-ounce size, for the packaging of beverages. It is to he understood, however, that the invention is not to be regarded as limited. for its utility, to bottles of that capacity or of that particular shape.

An important characteristic of the bottles, from the standpoint of the present invention, is that when assembled in the carrier in two rows of three each, they aii'ord between their upper neck portions suflicient space for accommodation of a hand or fist of normal size, thereby permitting the handle parts to be grasped and supported in the hand at a location below the tops of the bottles, as illustrated for example in Fig. 4. The middle of the handle, longitudinally considered, is between the two middle bottles, and the thumb of the hand finds a location between the necks of the middle and end bottles aseasie in the row on the inner or thumb side, while the knuckles oi the second and third iingers straddle the neck oi the middle bottle on the outer or knuckle row. If the fist is large, the middle bottle may be tilted outward slightly as illustrated in Fig. 4, but this does not interfere with its support or security or with the comfortable carrying of the package. Most bottles which are closed by caps of the crown type are formed with peripherally bulging portions or guard collars just below the margins of the skirt caps and projecting outwardly substantially as far as do said margins, for the purpose of safeguarding the caps against catching on the rim of the case or other adjacent object, and in the present package these bulges or guard collars function also as efiective guards against scratching of the hand by the skirt margins when the hand is inserted or withdrawn from the holding position. For best protection of the knuckles, it is desirable that the handle be located so low that the finger knuckles are well below the caps, as illustrated for example in Fig. 4.

Several important advantages are gained by the location of the handle below the top of the bottles. In the first place, it affects very substantial saving of paper board material, as compared with the amount which would be required if the handle panels were made high enough to locate the hand-hold portions above the tops of i the bottles. In the second place, the short handle facilitates accurate control of the package in the operations of carrying it or stacking it or placing it in or removing it from cases, as compared with carriers having handle panels of the reater height. This is noticeable simply in the carrying of the package, as the low handle gives it a very compact and balanced feeling.

Probably the most important advantage is the great saving in paper board material which results from the greatly increased safety factor. With the hand thus pocketed down among the necks of the bottles, the latter act as limiting elements which prevent lateral flexion of the handle panels and handle parts to an extent where the paper board material may be torn or its fiber broken or permanently bent. Furthermore, due to the limitation imposed by the bottle necks on lateral flexion and twisting of the handle parts, they and the handle panels are definitely safeguarded against the whipping and weavin actions which are like to impose inertia shocks and tearing stresses on the handle parts when the latter are long, particularly when the packages are being picked up suddenly as in rapid handling. Still another important safety advantage accrues from the fact that it is unnecessary to crease or bend any of the handle parts at any time or for any purpose. In various types of carriers and packages heretofore used, wherein the paper board handle parts extend above the tops of the bottles, it has been found necessary or desirable to crease or score them in order to permit their being bent over laterally to lie flat on the tops of the bottles in order to permit the stacking of other packages on them, either forv display or for purpose of transportationin trucks or the like. Not only does such creasin or scoring necess weaken the flber or the paper board, but the mere fact that portions of the handle stick up above the bottles exposes them to mutilation when the packages are handled in c or stacked.

By virtue oi these several safety factors which result from the use of the low handle and its protection by the associated bottles. the present invention renders it possible to effectuate very substantial savings in paper board material. These savings result not only from the saving in actual area of material made possible by the shorter handle, but more particularly by the saving in weight or thickness which it allows. Because the handles are safeguarded against injurious iiexion, whipping action, inertia shocks andthe like, and because they do not have to be bent or creased or scored, the handle panels may be made of very much lighter or thinner material of the same quality than can the high handle carriers with a similar factor of safety. Inasmuch as-the handle panels may be made lighter, the entire carrier may be made of lighter material, because it is the handle parts which have to carry the greatest load.

Reference has been made above to certain advantagesfiowing from the manner in which the partition strips are formed in the blank and arranged in the completed package. Further advantages reside in the fact that the bottle compartments may be made of adequate, or even excess, depth, thereby affording secure retention for the bottles, it being observed that the outer walls afiord continuous or unbroken envelopnient of the outwardly presented sides of the bottles. The arrangement of the partition strips produces wall panels of stepped or graduated height, which for advertisemental and decorative printing. A

further advantage resides in the fact that the arrangement is such that when a plurality of the packages is placed in a case or tray for handling or shipment, usually four to the case, the high wall portions of one package meet the low wall portions of the juxtaposed packages. This is illustrated in Fig. 9 wherein the heaviest boundary lines are intended to indicate the highest wall portions, the lightest lines to indicate the lowest wall portions and the intermediate lines to indicate the wall portions of intermediate height. In the handling of cases in bottling plants for loading on trucks or theiike, they are sometimes fed by gravity on roller conveyors or chutes, down which the cases travel one after another to the delivery point. As-they frequently move with considerable speed, the bottles may be subjected to very considerable inertia shocks due to colliding of the cases or sudden stopping 0* them. As there is necessarily a certain amount of freedom of movement of the packages within the cases or trays, it has been a not unusual experience' that bottles in juxtaposed packages of kinds heretofore used have been broken by being dashed forcibly against one another in such handling. By the arrangement of the boundary wall portions in the present package as above described, the bottles are afforded complete protection against the dashing of those of one package against those in juxtaposed packages.

What I claim is:

l. A carrier for packaging bottles and the like, comprising a paper board blank formed into a receptacle having two side walls and two end walls arranged alternately and hinged to one another at their lateral margins, bottom flaps hinged to the lower margins of opposite walls and adapted to form a bottom for the receptacle, two handle panels hinged respectively to medial portions of respective end walls so that the latter may be swung to and from positions where they lie at right angles to the handle panels and side walls,

and partition strips connectingrespective side walls to respective handle panels along hinge lines extending'at right angles relative to the lower margins 01 the side walls, the hinge lines of different partition strips in respective side walls being disposed at diil'erent distances from the lower margins of the latter and the partition strips being located at diflerent distances from the lateral margins of the side walls and handle panels which they connect, the upper edges of said partition strips being arranged in stepped, vertically offset relationship.

2. A carrier as specified in claim 1 and wherein the handle panels are fastened to each other back to back.

3. A knocked-down carrier for packaging bottles and the like, comprising a receptacle formed of paper board and having a quardrilateral enclosure wall iormed of side and end panels arranged alternately and hinged to one another on corner fold lines which are parallel, bottom flaps hinged to lower margins of opposite panels to form a bottom for the receptacle, a pair of handle panels hinged respectively to the end panels on told lines disposed medially oi the latter and parallel with the corner fold lines, and partition strips connecting respective side and handle panels and hinged to them on hinge lines extending parallel with the corner fold lines, hinge lines of difierent partition strips in respective side panels being disposed at diflerent distances from the lower margins thereof and at diflerent distances "from a corner iold line thereof, the hinge lines of different partition strips in respective handle panels being disposed at different distances from the upper margins of the latter and at different distances from the lateral ends thereof, the handle panels being secured to each other back to back, and the enclosure wall being folded at diagonally opposite corners to place inner surfaces of opposite side panels against each other with respective side and handle panels and their connecting partition strips in coplanar relationship, the upper edges of said partition strips being arranged in stepped, vertically oflset relationship.

4. A carrier as specified in claim 3 and wherein the height of each of the fold lines hinging said handle panels to the end panels equals the combined heights of the partition strip hinge lines to the handle panels on either side of the latter.

5. A carrier as specified in claim 3 and wherein one of the handle panels is directly and integrally hinged to one of the end panels and the other handle panel is adhesively connected to the other end panel.

6. A carrier formed from a one-piece paper board blank, comprising an enclosure wall having side and end panels Joined end to end and disposed in rectangular relationship, a bottom supported on the enclosure wall, a handle connected to the enclosure wall and disposed medially between the side panels, and partition strips arranged in vertically stepped relation extending between the handle and respective side panels to apportion the intervening spaces into collaterally disposed compartments; the upper margins 01 the side panels being stepped from one compartment to the next so that the panel is highest at one end and lowest at the other, the stepping oi the two side panels being in converse relationship so that the higher end of one is opposite the lower end of the other, and the upper margins of the end panels being stepped so that their opposite ends correspond in height with the adJacent ends of the side panels.

7. A package comprising a carrier as specified in claim 6 in combination with a plurality of bottles supported by the side and end panels in upright positions on the bottom and in two rows one at each side of the handle, said bottles having upper portions of reduced diameter extending at least to the upper margin of the handle and afiording between the opposite rows space for a hand in clasping engagement with the handle.

SAMUEL N. LEBOLD. 

